Life She Wants (Carr)

The Life She Wants 
Robyn Carr, 2016
MIRA
352 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780778319672


Summary
A poignant novel with a rich tapestry of characters, and a story that will leave the reader laughing and crying as two friends confront their pasts and move towards their futures.

In the aftermath of her financier husband’s suicide, Emma Shay Compton’s dream life is shattered.

Richard Compton stole his clients’ life savings to fund a lavish life in New York City and, although she was never involved in the business, Emma bears the burden of her husband’s crimes.

She is left with nothing.

Only one friend stands by her, a friend she’s known since high school, who encourages her to come home to Sonoma County. But starting over isn’t easy, and Sonoma is full of unhappy memories, too. And people she’d rather not face, especially Riley Kerrigan.

Riley and Emma were like sisters—until Riley betrayed Emma, ending their friendship. Emma left town, planning to never look back. Now, trying to stand on her own two feet, Emma can’t escape her husband’s reputation and is forced to turn to the last person she thought she’d ever ask for help—her former best friend.

It’s an uneasy reunion as both women face the mistakes they’ve made over the years. Only if they find a way to forgive each other—and themselves—can each of them find the life she wants. (From the publisher.)

Author Bio
• Birth—ca. 1951
• Where—the State of Minnesota, USA
• Education—nursing degree
• Awards—RITA Award; Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award
• Currently—lives in Henderson, Nevada


Robyn Carr is an American author of more than 50 historical and romance novels. She is perhaps best known for her Virgin River Series, 20 some books published from 2007-2012.

Carr originally intended a career as a nurse rather than a writer. But she married her high school sweetheart who had enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as a helicopter pilot. It was during the Vietnam War, and as Robyn accompanied him, moving from base to base, it became obvious that her peripatetic lifestyle made it almost impossible to accommodate a nursing schedule.

Then in the mid-'70s came two children. When her doctor told her she needed to stay off her feet during one of her pregnancies, she turned to writing. Two healthy infants later, Robyn was still writing all the while juggling babies, feedings and diaper changes. She published her first historical novel in 1978.

Thirty years and some 25 novels later, she hit the New York Times bestseller list with her breakthrough novel, A Virgin River Christmas (2008). Three years later, Bring Me Home for Christmas, the 17th in what had become the Virgin River series, reached #1 on the NYT list; all told, since 2008 her books have spent more than 230 weeks on the NYT bestseller list.

Robyn and her husband Jim, now retired, live near Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition to traveling and enjoying her grandchildren, Carr hosts monthly "Carr Chats" at the Paseo Verde Library in Henderson, Nevada, her hometown, where she interviews other authors.

Visit the author's website.

Book Reviews
Too much melodrama, shallow character portrayals, and lifeless romantic scenes unfortunately undercut what could have been an insightful exploration of a woman’s world turned upside down by circumstances beyond her control.
Publishers Weekly


A layered, well-paced plot and flawed, three-dimensional characters whom readers will care about make this quick and entertaining read for those who relish contemporary family sagas with strong female characters as well as readers who like their stories tinged with romance. —Charli Osborne, Oak Park P. L., MI
Library Journal


Carr’s take on this complicated situation is interesting, though readers seeking a deeper reflection from Emma in the aftermath of her husband’s death or her stepmother’s spite may be disappointed. A satisfying reinvention story that handles painful issues with a light and uplifting touch.
Kirkus Reviews

Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, use these LitLovers talking points to start a discussion for The Life She Wants...then take off on your own:

1. What do you think of Emma Compton? How would you describe her? Do you find her sympathetic? What about Riley Kerrigan? Describe her. Were you able to connect or identify with either character? Is one more likable than the other?

2. Emma berates herself for having failed to see what was going on with her husband's financial schemes. Do you blame her? Was she overly naive? Should she, could she, have understood his business operations?

3. Follow-up to Question #2: Is it fair for Emma to be blamed and mistrusted for her husband's actions?

4. Talk about Emma and Riley's friendship years ago. What was the breaking point, and who was at fault? Has something similar ever happened between you and a friend?

5. On the other hand, is it strange to you that two women have held a grudge against one another for something that happened so many years in the past?

6. What is Riley's back story? Why is she working so hard to forgive herself?

7. How do the main characters change or grow by the end of the novel?

(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)

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